Steering mechanism

ABSTRACT

A steering mechanism for toy building sets, such as toy vehicles, and of the type comprising a rack means and a pinion cooperating with it. In connection with various possible positions of the rack means and likewise with a view to selective positioning of the pinion cooperating with it, the toothed region of the rack means is provided wholly or partly around the longitudinal axis of the rack means, the rack means being integral with a pair of steering rods which are provided with coupling means.

The invention concerns a steering mechanism for toy building sets, suchas toy vehicles, and of the type comprising a rack means and a pinionadapted to cooperate with it.

The German Patent Specification 3 035 611 discloses a steering device ofsaid type which comprises a linear rack means with a plane toothed faceadapted to cooperate with a gear wheel oriented perpendicularly withrespect to said face.

The U.S. Pat. No. 2,651,882 discloses another steering device which isdirectly based on the principle of a non-linear rack means forcooperation with a pinion. This structure includes a bridge structurewhich is rotatably suspended and on which an arc-shaped rack means issecured, said rack means engaging a steering wheel controlled pinion.The engagement face of the rack is here disposed in a vertical plane inwhich the arc shape likewise extends.

It will be appreciated that the mentioned mutual position of rack andpinion is essential to proper tooth engagement, which means that astructure like the one mentioned above is not particularly suitable inconnection with alternative structures of a toy model or as a componentfor incorporation in other model variants.

Further, the German Offenlegungsschrift 2 909 557 discloses a steeringstructure involving components for a building set that can beinterconnected in various ways; however, the possibilities of the mutualpositions of rack and pinion are nevertheless limited since the rack isoften placed in a horizontal plane and with a horizontally projecting,arc-shaped toothing. The flexibility of these components is thus alsolimited.

The object of the invention is to provide a steering mechanism which hasa very compact structure, which is at the same time very flexible inthat it may be used in various, mutual positions of the constituentparts and in connection with incorporation in other toy models.

This object is achieved by providing a steering mechanism as stated inthe characterizing portion of claim 1. When a rack means is constructedintegrally with steering rod means, the steering gear may beincorporated in various model variants, since the assembled steering rodmay be rotated about its longitudinal axis so that the coupling meansmay be mounted in an arbitrarily disposed plane, and without it beingnecessary to consider the orientation of the toothing and thus theengagement with the pinion adapted to reciprocate the rack means.

By the steering rods forming an acute angle with the longitudinal axisof the rack means, as stated in claim 2, it is achieved that the ends ofthe steering rods perform a movement which is not only rotatory but alsotranslatory, when the rack means is rotated about its own axis.

To improve the flexibility additionally, the bearing bushing may berotatable as mentioned in claim 3 so that the pinion may slidetransversely to the rack. Then the steering gear may be adapted tovarious requirements and needs for the individual toy model and variantsof it.

This is feasible because the toothing is provided over such a greatextent that it satisfies the requirement with respect to the variouspossible positions of the steering rod means and their coupling means,while the toothing area is sufficient to accomodate various steeringwheel inclinations. When, as stated in claim 4, a corrugation isprovided externally on the bushing means, the steering column may assumevarious inclinations, the corrugation being caused to cooperate with aflexible engagement means.

The invention will be described more fully below with reference to thedrawing, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a steering gear housing and a bushingmeans according to the invention adapted to be received by said housing,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the components illustrated in FIG. 1 inconnection with a steering rod according to the invention adapted to bepositioned in the bushing means,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the constituent parts of the steeringmechanism,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the mode of operation of the steeringmechanism of the invention,

FIG. 5 is a side view of the steering mechanism, from which the possibleadjustments of the steering column inclination of the steering mechanismappear, and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the steering gear housing.

FIG. 1 shows a steering gear housing 1 which substantially receives allthe parts incorporated in the steering mechanism. It appears that thesteering gear housing is contiguous with a beam 2 which is provided, ina manner known per se, with coupling studs and holes for coupling withother elements belonging to a toy building set. It will likewise be seenhow a bushing means 5 is adapted to be received in the steering gearhousing via edge projections on the end portions of the cylinder-shapedpart, said portions engaging two holes 3 and 4 aligned on the steeringgear housing.

FIG. 2 shows the location of the bushing means 5 in the steering gearhousing. It is likewise indicated how a through channel 11 in thebushing means 5 is adapted to receive a rack means 6, whose ends areprovided with steering rod means 13 having coupling means 14 at theirextremities. In the embodiment shown here, these consist of a pair ofpipe sections having mutually parallel axes extending transversely tothe longitudinal axis of the rack means 6.

In FIG. 2, the rack means 6 is shown in its preferred embodiment, wherethe teeth extend all the way around its own axis, and where each of thecontrol rods extending from each end forms an acute angle with thelongitudinal axis of the rack means. This orientation of the steeringrods 13 results in a very great flexibility for the coupling with otherelements via the coupling means 14. In this connection, the toothed areaof the rack means 6 extends, as mentioned, all the way round its ownaxis, thus increasing the flexibility in the attachment of the rackmeans 6 to other components.

In FIG. 3, the rack means 6 is shown in a position of use, it beingindicated by arrows how a pinion 10 for cooperation with the rack isadapted for substantially loose mounting on the teeth 12. In connectionwith radial fixing of the pinion, the bushing means 5 is to this endprovided with a pair of bracket means 7 and 8 having mutually alignedholes, and a shaft of X-crosssection or a steering column 9 is movedthrough the bracket holes as well as the pinion 10.

FIG. 4 shows the mode of operation of the steering mechanism, and itwill be appreciated in this connection that the mechanism of theinvention can be used in many positions as regards mounting of thesteering rods 13, and it appears additionally with the shown, preferredtoothing area that the pinion 10 can obtain the same tooth engagementwith the rack means along its entire periphery so that, irrespective ofthe positioning of the rack means 6, the steering column 9 can assumevarious, desired included positions. The latter is shown more clearly inFIG. 5.

It also appears from the figures that the bushing means 5 is wholly orpartly provided with a corrugation 15 on its cylindrical part. In thispreferred embodiment, the bushing means is adapted to assume variousslidably engaged positions via its axial movability, the corrugation 15being adapted to cooperate with a flexible tongue means 16 (see FIG. 6)at the bottom of the steering gear housing.

It will likewise be appreciated that additional, other combinations arepossible within the same or other building sets by changing the shapeand position of the steering rod means 13 with respect to the rack means12, just as it is possible to vary the construction of the couplingmeans 14 provided at the extremities of the steering rod means.

I claim:
 1. A steering mechanism for toy building sets of the typecomprising a rack means (6) and a pinion (10) adapted to cooperate withsaid rack means, characterized in that the tooth region of the rackmeans comprises a number of substantially arc-shaped teeth (12), each ofsaid teeth comprising a disc extending perpendicular to and at leastpartly around the axis of the toothed region, said tooth region beingintegral with steering rods (13) which project from each end and areprovided with coupling means (14), and in that the steering mechanismfurther includes a bushing means (5) with a substantiallycylinder-shaped part having an opening therein (11) which is adapted toslidably receive the rack means, and that the pinion (10) is journalledin bracket means (7 and 8) which are secured to the cylinder-shaped partfor cooperation with the rack means.
 2. A steering mechanism accordingto claim 1, characterized in that each of the steering rods 13projecting from the ends of the rack means forms an acute angle with thelongitudinal axis of the rack means.
 3. A steering mechanism accordingto claim 1, characterized in that the bushing means (5) is rotatablyjournalled in a steering gear housing (1).
 4. A steering gear mechanismaccording to claim 3, characterized in that the bushing means (5)rotatably journalled in a steering gear housing (1) is provided whollyor partly with a corrugation (15) on its outer face disposed between thebracket means (7 and 8), said corrugation being adapted to slidableengagement with a flexible tongue means provided on the steeringhousing.
 5. A steering mechanism according to claim 1, characterized inthat the teeth (12) of the toothed region encompasses the rack means (6)entirely.